Come on. I know you’re out there. Kath & Kim fans? No, I’m not talking about the American version, which debuted last night on NBC, but fans of the Aussie original, which has become a pop culture sensation since its debut Down Under in 2002.
Like me, you probably tuned in out of morbid curiosity, to see how Hollywood would make over the Aussie institution. The verdict: It’s not very noyce.
In translating the cult hit for a stateside audience, the creators of Kath & Kim have stripped the show of its essence and edge. Overly slick, it lacks the grit and wit of the original. The primary appeal of the Australian Kath & Kim, an Aussie friend once explained to me, is how “daggy” it all is. But where the Aussie version delights in skewering the smug suburban sensibilities of its characters, this version is oddly squeamish, shying away from deadpan deconstruction of the middle class, and opting instead for low-hanging sitcom-style laughs (Kim’s husband calls her “Dude”! Ha!)
And don’t even get me started on the casting. Molly Shannon makes a respectable showing as menopausal mom-on-the-make Kath (a role originated by actress-comedian Jane Turner), but Selma Blair can’t hold a candle to series co-creator Gina Riley’s muffin-topped fashion victim Kim.
All of which begs the question: Why can’t networks leave well enough alone, and let American audiences experience imports like Kath & Kim (and Ab Fab, for that matter) in their original form?
How do you feel about the new Kath & Kim, PopWatchers? And did you ever watch the Aussie series?
Comments (1-30) of 66 Add your comment
LOVED the Aussie version. Like you I was hoping to like this one, and I also love Molly Shannon, but Slema Blair? Um, NO. She’s not even CLOSE. And it’s not the same without Kim’s fat friend!!
My 11 year-old liked it. I was counting the 22 minutes of my life I was never going to get back. Not funny, not dry, not even cute. I call cancelled in 2 more eps.
I’ve never seen the Australian version, so I’m sure that my forgiving spirit is due to not having seen what sounds like a far superior version. I’m holding out hope that the American version will hit its stride, but I agree that it feels inauthentic and overacted. However, small things like “what the Bedazzle?!” and the dramatic zoom-in on Kath’s lover in the mall were funny enough.
Dennis – I too have never seen the original, so I wonder if that’s why, as you said, I’m so forgiving for it. I got the same feeling from it I did in the early Office days; when it was almost too uncomfortable. But they finally found their groove, and I think this show could too.
I thought it was great! I have never seen the Australian version to compare it to but I thought it was funny and has the potential to be even better. I adore Molly Shannon and would watch her in anything, though. I will definitely keep watching, Sexy Beasts!
If this thing lasts longer than Do Not Disturbed, I’ll be surprised. I love Selma Blair and Molly Shannon. But please cancel Kath & Kim and never speak of it again (sort of like Coupling).
I’m glad I’m not alone! I also thought of another winner. During the global warming discussion, when Kim doesn’t understand why it’s bad, and Kath knowledgably replies, “Well for one the Polar Bears are burning up.” I took NyQuil last night right before watching, but I laughed at that line.
I giggled a lot. But I, too, was under the influence of cold meds. Their clothes kept me laughing more than anything.
Loved the show.
Having a daughter of simular age who aspires to be Paris Hiton’s BFF, I thought it was histerical. The writer’s have nailed both generations characters. I want more!
I really want this show to work. I think it could be something.
Bad, bad, bad. I had high hopes, after hearing such great things about the Aussie version, but I don’t see how they can fix this – there was nothing funny or redeeming about that show.
No where near as funny as the original. I don’t think it will last here. sigh
http://www.australiandreams.blogspot.com
I thought it was awful and I like molly shannon. If this is the type of comedies that NBC is developing, they will never again see the heights of must see tv. I think the best new sitcom now is CBS’s worst week on mondays and gary unmarried is not bad — but wait a minute, i think those are the only new sitcoms still on the air. do not disturb was awful.
It’s sad when a sitcom like kath and kim gets a primo time slot while the best sitcom on the air — CBS’s the adventures of old christine(wed at
could be a huge hit in this time slot.
Yeah, I don’t get it – why don’t US networks ever just import a show whole? I mean, zero production costs, yo. They’re not interested in saving money? Or they assume Murkins don’t want to hear any of that high-falutin’ Brit talk?
I had no idea that this was an American version of an Aussie show until i read this blog, but i have to say that watching the show you could tell that this was a dialed down import. After the Parker Posey/Lauren Ambrose fiasco i was dreading the worst and compared to that show this was a total triumph. I can totally see how this could be a lesser version of a better show, but as a stand alone this wasn’t bad. I was really fearful about the pairing of Selma Blair with Molly Shannon, because she is no match to her(DON’T YOU GUYS ALL think a show with Parker Posey&Molly Shannon would be the best?), but in this episode i thought she was passable/bearable. There’s a promise of a great show if they decide to go there.
Oh. My. Gawd. Yawn…NOT Superstahhhhh….please cancel this & let’s get on with our lives…
I loved the show!! Molly Shannon forever!
P.S. The best line was Molly talking about a jumpsuit she wanted to buy that “had a zipper all the way down to your petunia!”
I liked it… I saw it for what it was. I think it appeals to a younger audience, and rightly so. Younger demographics spend the highest percent of their income on the things they see advertised on TV, so why wouldn’t a prime time comedy that leads into one of America’s highest rated comedy’s, the office(I know, a remake), display a youthful undertone? That’s how networks make money… I think most of you, including the author of this blog, are to hung up on seeing this as a remake, and not a stand alone comedy. I grew up in southeast suburbia, and then moved to LA. I see people like Kath and Kim everyday, and a comedic dramatization just makes those people that much more entertaining. Leave the show be, let’s let it blossom into it’s own entity before we condemn it to death.
Also, so it’s understood. America doesn’t import shows from other countries, because American’s are not well traveled as a whole, and as a result are often lost on the dialect of other english speaking nations… That, and production quality from other countries is often times far poorer quality than that of America’s… We have high standards. I watch BBC America, trust me when I say… Much lower quality!
No way, Josay. The original series is too clever to work in America. It is one of my favorite comedies, though, so I can only hope the US version lasts long enough to warrant putting the Australian series on DVD.
Bad. Just bad. I gave up on it less than halfway in.
Yeah, so just watched part of an episode of Kath & Kim the Australian version. I’m baffled you would think that the United States would tolerate the production quality of this show. The show looks like something right out of the 80’s. The lighting is poor, the sound is reprehensible, it’s not even digital. I am studying entertainment business in Los Angeles, and let me tell you that Kath & Kim the Australian version would be canceled in the United States in about 2 to 3 weeks. It doesn’t appeal to the masses. It appeals to a small minority of people who think they are cultured because the watch shows created in europe and asia. Trust me when I say that directly imported foreign television is not a feasible commodity in the US.
I was very pessimistic based on early buzz, but I laughed a lot last night during the premiere episode. I thought it was a perfect lead-in for The Office and I loved Molly Shanon. And yes, I’ve seen the original Aussie version. I hope the show lives, I see a lot of potential.
Good job JB!
While I thought the American version was cute (“I didn’t sign on to listen to how someones day was or to cook, I’m a trophy wife” LOL) I liked the Aussie version much better. Why do Hollywood studios think that they need to make changes to great shows. They always end up taking away from what made the original so great. Why not just put the Aussie version on US tv. (After Nine if they are concerned about children.) I also agree that taking away Kath and Kim’s fat friend left alot to be desired by the US version.
I’ll give it at least another week. I agree that Molly Shannon was great. I think it may be too early for me to determine, though, if it’s Selma Blair’s character that I don’t like, or if it’s her.
30 minutes of my life I will never get back. Even my two teenage daughters thought it sucked.
Wow was it awful. I mean awful. So completely unfunny that I just kep waiting for the first commercial so that I could watch something entertaining, and when it finally came I dicthed- unfortunately I returned too early for the Office and got stuck watching their final global warming scene. What an embarrassment.